Osun State government has confirmed the exclusive news report by LEADERSHIP on an averted plane crash involving a private jet owned by billionaire businessman, Chief Adedeji Adeleke, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
In a reactiont, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State alleged sabotage in the averted air crash.
LEADERSHIP reports that save for a stroke of luck, what could have been a national tragedy, was averted when the Bombadier Global Express 605 caught fire at take-off point with Governor Adeleke and his aides, on board.
The incident happened at about 9am on the fateful day when the jet was about to take off from Lagos to Abuja.
The jet is also used as a family plane by the Adelekes.
Meanwhile, the aviation minister, Mr Festus Keyamo, has reiterated that the safety of the aviation industry is the number one objective of the Ahmed Bola Tinubu administration.
In a statement signed by director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, yesterday, the minister said the agency "received with concern reports of an aborted take-off of a Bombardier Global Express 605 jet operated by Pacific Energy Company Limited at the Lagos Airport on September 4th 2023.
"The aircraft was carrying Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and his team on a scheduled flight to Abuja.
"Once alerted, the minister contacted the director-general of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and was briefed accordingly.
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"A mandatory report was submitted on 6th September 2023 in accordance with Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS).
"The operator submitted the report through the new web-based National Aviation Safety Reporting System, SMS Pro, deployed by NCAA in collaboration with Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), in compliance with the provisions of ICAO mandated State Safety Programme and the Civil Aviation Act 2022.
"A full blown investigation of the incident has since commenced.
"NCAA assures the travelling public that it will double its efforts in collaboration with NSIB to maintain and improve upon the high safety aviation standards set in the country over the past decade.
"The minister has on several occasions stated that safety of the aviation industry is the number one objective of this administration," the statement read.
